The Board of Education finally backed down and scrapped their disastrous start time proposal. They ignored parent input for months but our persistence forced them to acknowledge that elementary kids deserve their sleep. Stay alert because we need to make sure they do not try to sneak this plan back …
May 1, 2020
Final supporters
Thank you in advance for your support of Sleep Equity for all our children. The AAP sleep guidelines are below. ALL children need sleep. And while the Board of Ed is working towards optimizing a proposed plan it has not provided it to the public. Under the current proposed plan elementary schools would start at 7:45am requiring a first pick up at 7:06 in the morning and at minimum significantly more childcare currently not available in town, 5/6 9:15 start which would require a new before school program for dual working families and limit after school opportunities significantly and 7-12 at 8:30. This would represent the earliest elementary school start time in all of Connecticut and an average of one hour earlier than the other schools.
The results appeared clear from the Hanover Survey (conducted in the Fall) that the thousands of respondents were not in favor of taking sleep from elementary school kids. However, the board commissioned another survey in October of last year, just two months prior to their decision. The results came back clearly reaffirming the initial survey findings. When respondents were provided three clear schedule options the current option was again the lowest scoring, least desirable alternative. Which brings to serious question why this is the alternative the board has arrived at.
If you do not support the current proposed plan please sign this petition which will be brought to the attention of the Board of Education, Board of Finance and Town Council who are currently reviewing 2020-2021 budgets. The current unsupported plan costs $1MM (and not all costs were in at the time of budget creation) with an annual running cost of $250k - if we are to invest this sum let's make sure it reflects the wishes of the community and the best scenario for our children.
ALL our children deserve the right plan not just a plan. Time is of the essence - public hearings from the Board of Finance is March 3rd.
Thank you!
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
March 5, 2020
March 4, 2020
The Board of Education continues to ignore the data we have already provided while keeping their plans hidden behind closed doors. They think they can force this disastrous schedule on our elementary students without pushback but they are dead wrong.
Reached 100 supporters
March 3, 2020
104 Comments
If New Canaan changes and other towns don’t follow, it’s going to be a disaster. Students will have to leave class even earlier for extracurriculars and have to stay up later to finish their work. Changing start times will affect all surrounding towns and make it very difficult for working parents.
As a track athlete, this will not help my teammates next year when it is pitch black on the track. Even if you end up buying lights, you’re already spending thousands of dollars on top of the million dollar addition to the budget. Practices will run too late and everyone will get the same amount of sleep in the end.
Please keep the times the way they are! Spending 1M a year as a FIRST step is irresponsible. Let's try some other initiatives first and see if they benefit all kids, before taking on this sort of reoccurring cost for our community.
There has to be a middle ground for the elementary students. 7:45 is too early, and 9:15 makes the whole day too late. This is the school level they spend the most years, this is not a solution to the teens getting more sleep.
I do not support the proposed start time of 7:45am for elementary, or the estimated costs associated with it. I also do not believe our town can absorb elementary dismissal of 2:15pm given the lack of childcare in New Canaan. This is devastating to working parents of young children.
I am strongly opposed to starting elementary school at the proposed time of 7:45.
This time change would be incredibly detrimental to working parents and the sleep schedules of younger children.
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The Board of Education finally backed down and scrapped their disastrous start time proposal. They ignored parent input for months but our persistence forced them to acknowledge that elementary kids deserve their sleep. Stay alert because we need to make sure they do not try to sneak this plan back …
May 1, 2020
Final supporters
Thank you in advance for your support of Sleep Equity for all our children. The AAP sleep guidelines are below. ALL children need sleep. And while the Board of Ed is working towards optimizing a proposed plan it has not provided it to the public. Under the current proposed plan elementary schools would start at 7:45am requiring a first pick up at 7:06 in the morning and at minimum significantly more childcare currently not available in town, 5/6 9:15 start which would require a new before school program for dual working families and limit after school opportunities significantly and 7-12 at 8:30. This would represent the earliest elementary school start time in all of Connecticut and an average of one hour earlier than the other schools.
The results appeared clear from the Hanover Survey (conducted in the Fall) that the thousands of respondents were not in favor of taking sleep from elementary school kids. However, the board commissioned another survey in October of last year, just two months prior to their decision. The results came back clearly reaffirming the initial survey findings. When respondents were provided three clear schedule options the current option was again the lowest scoring, least desirable alternative. Which brings to serious question why this is the alternative the board has arrived at.
If you do not support the current proposed plan please sign this petition which will be brought to the attention of the Board of Education, Board of Finance and Town Council who are currently reviewing 2020-2021 budgets. The current unsupported plan costs $1MM (and not all costs were in at the time of budget creation) with an annual running cost of $250k - if we are to invest this sum let's make sure it reflects the wishes of the community and the best scenario for our children.
ALL our children deserve the right plan not just a plan. Time is of the essence - public hearings from the Board of Finance is March 3rd.
Thank you!
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
March 5, 2020
March 4, 2020
The Board of Education continues to ignore the data we have already provided while keeping their plans hidden behind closed doors. They think they can force this disastrous schedule on our elementary students without pushback but they are dead wrong.
Reached 100 supporters
March 3, 2020
104 Comments
Please keep the start times as is. If you genuinely believe our children aren't reaching their fullest potential, or aren't successful with the amount of sleep they currently receiving, why are New Canaan schools always tops in the state for education? Please reconsider the additional cost(s) and disruption to extracurricular activities.
If New Canaan changes and other towns don’t follow, it’s going to be a disaster. Students will have to leave class even earlier for extracurriculars and have to stay up later to finish their work. Changing start times will affect all surrounding towns and make it very difficult for working parents.
As a track athlete, this will not help my teammates next year when it is pitch black on the track. Even if you end up buying lights, you’re already spending thousands of dollars on top of the million dollar addition to the budget. Practices will run too late and everyone will get the same amount of sleep in the end.
Please keep the times the way they are! Spending 1M a year as a FIRST step is irresponsible. Let's try some other initiatives first and see if they benefit all kids, before taking on this sort of reoccurring cost for our community.
There has to be a middle ground for the elementary students. 7:45 is too early, and 9:15 makes the whole day too late. This is the school level they spend the most years, this is not a solution to the teens getting more sleep.
I do not support the proposed start time of 7:45am for elementary, or the estimated costs associated with it. I also do not believe our town can absorb elementary dismissal of 2:15pm given the lack of childcare in New Canaan. This is devastating to working parents of young children.
I am strongly opposed to starting elementary school at the proposed time of 7:45.
This time change would be incredibly detrimental to working parents and the sleep schedules of younger children.
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Please keep the start times as is. If you genuinely believe our children aren't reaching their fullest potential, or aren't successful with the amount of sleep they currently receiving, why are New Canaan schools always tops in the state for education? Please reconsider the additional cost(s) and disruption to extracurricular activities.